Beschreibung:

An interesting C.M.G. group of four to Admiral L.G. Tufnell, Royal Navy, awarded the C.M.G. for the Shanghai Riots in 1905, Volunteer Chauffeur in France 1914, and honourary Lieutenant Colonel in the Army ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE, C.M.G., silver-gilt and enamel neck badge, officially converted from breast badge, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue, some enamel damage to both centres; 1914 STAR (L.G. Tufnell); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORYMEDALS, M.I.D. (Lt. Col.) very fine or better (4) Footnote The group is sold with the following original documents: a. Warrant for the Order of St. Michael and St. George, signed by King Edward VII and by George, Prince of Wales, as Grand Master of the Order, 1908. b. Manuscript letter to Captain Tufnell, dated January 25, 1908, from Earl Grey, informing him that the King has approved his appointment to the Order of St. Michael and St. George in recognition of the valuable services rendered by you during the anti-foreign riots at Shanghai in 1905 when I understand that it was due to your prompt action as Commander of the landing parties order was most effectually restored.' c. Warrant of Award for the Order of the Redeemer in the Greek language together with another document from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Athens, in the French language dated 17th July, 1912. d. Licence to accept and wear the Greek Order of the Redeemer signed by George V, 27th August, 1912. e. Warrant of Award for the Order of Naval Merit, dated Cartagena, 8th April, 1907. Admiral Lionel Grant Tufnell, 1857-1930, entered the Royal Navy in July, 1870, becoming a midshipman two years later. In December, 1888, he was appointed as Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral J.C. Erskine at Qucenstown, and while so employed took a practical interest in the training of signalmen. He devised a system of instructing them which obviated the necessity of using full-sized flags, the scheme being adopted by the Admiralty in 1890. He was given command of the gunboat Firebrand, in 1892, on the China station until 1895 when he was placed in charge of the Signal School at Portsmouth. For the next nine years he was employed mostly in the training of boys and ordinary seamen. Riots at Shanghai Captain Tufnell was once again appointed to the China Station to take command, in 1904, of the light cruiser Astraea. In the following year he commanded the naval forces landed to quell the riots at Shanghai, the success of which brought him honours from both the British and foreign Governments. For his services at Shanghai he was made C.M.G. in January, 1908 and also received the Cross of the Order of Naval and Military Merit from the King of Spain, and the Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan. From July, 1908 to September, 1910 he commanded the Royal Naval Engineering College at Keyham Devonport, and in the following January became a rear-admiral. 'Father' of the Greek Navy’ Three months later he retired to accept the position of Naval Adviser to the Greek Government. His methods in training and organising the Greek forces gave great satisfaction to the authorities in Athens. In May, 1912 he was able to hoist his flag in the Sphakteria at Phaleron and take the Fleet, in which the principal units were the small battleships Spetsai and Psara, for a cruise for exercises and manoeuvres to the Saronie Gulf. It was under his advice also that four large modern destroyers, built at Birkenhead for the Argentine Navy were acquired for Greece. The war which broke out between Greece and Turkey in October, 1912, proved the wisdom of his plans. It was said that the Admiral himself compiled the signal book used by the Greeks during the operations. Although weak in numbers, the Greek Fleet asserted itself in the war with an alacrity which showed that it had been trained and was prepared with a plan of campaign. It promptly seized several Aegean islands, and when, on January 18th, 1913 the superior Turkish Fleet came out of the Dardanelles, the Greeks, under